


Being Neighborly

by Ann_Drist



Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers, Canon Disabled Character, Flash Fiction, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Meet-Cute, Short One Shot, The Beginning of A Beautiful Friendship (and cough FTL cough cough cough), Wheelchair-using character, When Erik Met Charles, less than 500 words, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 22:12:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7286656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ann_Drist/pseuds/Ann_Drist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik and Charles live in the same apartment complex. Neither of them had any idea the other was a mutant until now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Being Neighborly

Erik went to take the trash out late one summer evening. The sun was down, but it was still hot as hell. 

There was somebody sitting next to the dumpster. 

Erik recognized him. The guy—Charles, if he remembered correctly—had recently moved into one of the few accessible units on the first floor. He was slouching in his chair, head in his hand.

Erik slowed his pace. He’d never been good at being ‘neighborly,’ but he wondered if he should say something. 

Charles held out a hand and spoke first. “Don’t—throw anything away. I just dropped my keys in there. Leave it on the curb, and I’ll deal with it—later.” 

Erik set his trash on the ground. “Do you have anything to get in there?” 

Charles rubbed his forehead. “I have a couple of extended reacher-grabbers in my van, and more in my apartment. But they’re both locked. And my keys are—” He laughed helplessly. 

“Right.” Erik looked around the deserted cul-de-sac. “Hey, if I get your keys out for you, you’ll owe me, right? So you can keep a secret for me?”

Charles frowned. “Are you going to do something illegal to get them out?” 

“Not exactly.” Erik spread his hand over the open dumpster. 

The keys flew into Erik’s palm. He shook them off and offered them to Charles.

Charles was gaping at him. “You’re—telekinetic!” 

“Something like that.” 

Charles took a handkerchief out of his pocket and gingerly accepted his keys, not touching them with his bare hands. 

Erik picked up the bag of trash and tossed it in the dumpster. He started walking away. 

Charles’s mind was still reeling. “Th-thank you!” 

Erik turned back and smiled. “Don’t mention it.” He winked and walked away. 

Charles put his hand to his temple and telepathically projected, _“I won’t tell anyone if you won’t.”_

Erik stopped in his tracks and doubled back around. “Wha—did you just?—”

_“Yes,”_ Charles projected.

“I can’t believe you’re—” Erik looked around again. There was another neighbor out jogging, and a couple more walking their dogs. Erik licked his lips. “I don’t know about you, but I could really go for a drink right now.” 

A smile tugged at Charles’s mouth. “I’m often partial to an after-dinner digestif.” 

“I hate drinking alone.” 

“I have a well-stocked bar.” Charles gestured towards his apartment and started wheeling over. Erik fell in line behind him. 

“Good thing you have your keys,” Erik teased as Charles unlocked his door, gripping the house key firmly with his handkerchief. 

Charles disinfected his keys and washed his hands first, then poured two glasses of port. 

They spent hours talking, barely touching their drinks. Erik tore himself away around midnight. He walked home grinning like a fool.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by me chucking my keys in the dumpster when I took out the trash. 
> 
> I have suffered for my art.


End file.
